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Louisiana Supreme Court Issues Ruling That Is a Setback for School Choice

School choice received a blow in Louisiana today when the Supreme Court deemed funding for vouchers unconstitutional. Last April, Governor Bobby Jindal expanded school choice, including scholarships offered for up to 5,600 students for the current school year. More than 10,000 students applied for 5,600 spots in private and religious schools this year, and were selected by a lottery. The program was set to be expanded next year with nearly 8,000 students approved for vouchers with more scholarships expected to be approved in June. These are all students from low to moderate-income families who would otherwise attend poorly performing public schools.

The plaintiffs in the case included the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Louisiana School Boards Association, and the vote was 6-1. Justice John Weimer, one of the majority votes, wrote "The state funds approved through the unique MFP process cannot be diverted to nonpublic schools or other nonpublic course providers according to the clear, specific and unambiguous language of the constitution." This ruling, which cannot be appealed to the US Supreme Court, does not shut down the school voucher program, just the funding mechanism for the program. This means that the children currently attending alternative schools will not be forced out, but a workaround needs to be found for funding.

Just last month, Jindal spoke out in support of school vouchers in Louisiana, saying that vouchers provide help for "low-income kids that are trapped in failing schools,” ensuring "better academic results." Now, the thousands of students relying on scholarships find their education in peril. Jindal is expected to keep fighting for funding, as he is passionate about reforming the system and is determined that underprivileged and minority children have the opportunity to succeed. Other options for funding and expanded school choice are in the early stages, but Jindal is not likely to give up, according to former Jindal campaign manager Phillip Stutts.

I'm in Baton Rouge, feeling among leg and Jindal Admin is that they will do whatever needed to save the 5,000 kids in voucher program.

What do educators have to say about this blow to better education? According to, Stutts, who was on-site today, teachers’ union members were seen giving high-fives around the Louisiana state capitol building.

LA unions high-5ing around the LA Capitol. Guess it's a good thing 8,000 low income kids trapped in failing schools lost their scholarship.

With the education of our children in the hands of “educators” like these, isn’t it time parents got to make some decisions? Louisiana State Superintendent of Education John White agrees. In a statement issued today, he stated that “on the most important aspect of the law, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of families. The Scholarship Program will continue, and thousands of Louisiana families will continue to have the final say in where to send their children to school. Nearly 93 percent of scholarship families report that they love their school, and we will work with the Legislature to find another funding source to keep parents and kids in these schools.” So, while school choice suffered a setback in Louisiana today, committed reformers will continue to work so that families and students will win in the end.

As the recent hearing in the Texas legislature shows, the school choice debate is far from over. The Texas House of Representatives faces pressure from public school administrators and teachers unions on one end and school choice proponents on the other.

Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee held an additional hearing about the proposed implementation regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As noted before, the proposed regulations go well beyond the law passed by Congress as the Department of Education (DOEd) continues seeking to meddle in local schools. The testimony of the witnesses highlights the need for public input pushing back on the federal government’s proposed regulations, which include a potential back door route to reimpose Common Core mandates on the states.

Last month's proposed rules on school accountability are yet another reminder that it’s time for federal bureaucrats at the Department of Education to get their hands out of our education system. In its latest power grab, the department seeks to enact top-down measures that would remove authority from the hands of teachers, school districts, and state government. The regulation would impose Education Department-mandated accountability measures promulgating federal government oversight over student and school achievement.

Yesterday's proposed rules on school accountability are yet another reminder that it’s time for federal bureaucrats at the Department of Education to get their hands out of our education system. In its latest power-grab, the department seeks to enact top-down measures that would remove authority from the hands of teachers, school districts, and state government. The regulation would impose Education Department-mandated accountability measures promulgating federal government oversight over student and school achievement.

Part of a strong economy, both at the federal and state level, is a functional and healthy workforce. When a significant portion of your population is incapable of securing employment, crime rates go up and government funds become more significantly strained.

In an attempt to circumvent Congress and move the free college agenda forward, The White House will launch a $100 million grant program for free community college tuition. The new program, America’s Promise Grants, was unveiled last week by Vice President Biden in a speech at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Common Core Fails, but Education Department Tries to Silence Critics
This month we are in the middle of what the Department of Education educrats have labelled as “Testing Season.” That’s right. It’s not duck season, it’s not rabbit season, it’s Testing Season. As hundreds of thousands of students opt out of Common Core testing, teachers are weighing the professional risks of speaking out against this testing. Instead of fixing the problems with Common Core and its myriad of regulations, Education Department bureaucrats have resorted to shooting the messengers – our nation’s teachers. Perhaps Testing Season should be renamed Hunting Season.

In Louisiana, fiscal integrity is going from bad to worse. Already, the state is facing the largest budget deficit in its entire history, at a whopping $700 million this year, and shortfall projections for next year reaching as high as $1.9 billion. However, in a misguided attempt to try to solve this behemoth of a problem, newly-elected Governor John Bel Edwards has proposed a massive package of tax hikes that affect all walks of life, from personal income to industry. What’s worse, if he has his way in imposing these hikes, the state residents could be feeling the brunt of the costs as early as April of this year. Clearly, Edwards isn’t fixing what ails the state.

Have you ever heard of Shreveport, Louisiana? George Soros has and is evidently concerned enough about the outcome of a District Attorney's race in Caddo Parish to give $256,000 to a PAC in order to effect the outcome of this local election. The question for all of us across the nation is, why?

On Friday, September 18, the Bard Debate Union at Eastern New York Correctional Facility defeated the Harvard University debate team in intercollegiate competition. The significance of such a win highlights more than just the dedication and skill of the winning team, it establishes credibility toward the efforts behind the Bard Prison Initiative (“BPI”) and the idea that providing prisoners access to education is an option worthy of consideration.